What Truth Lay Beyond Your Eyes?
by xXKurai Bune NekoXx
Summary: A mix of drama and adventure of sorts, this story makes about no sense. What tales a hanyou has to tell can only be told in a number of ways...
1. The Beginning of the End

**Disclaimer** Shadow-chan does not own YuYu Hakusho or any of its characters...But if she did, it would so totally rock.

"Mama?" came the soft voice of a child. The girl's voice had several emotions flowing in it; confusion, pain, fear, hate, worry...and though her mother hadn't been looking at her, she knew all-too-well what had happened, yet again.

"Come here, Alisha-chan... Are you alright?" the woman's voice was a gentle one as she turned to look at her young daughter. She was ningen, but was beautiful, one would think her a goddess given the chance to have seen her. Her skin was fairly pale, but only because she was rarely outside anymore. Long, dark, raven hair framed the woman's pale face; sea blue shadow covered over her eyelids, bringing out the blueish-emerald coloring of her irises. The woman was dressed in a dark blue kimono adorned with sakura petals, a red and pink obi tied around her middle, and a dark blue cloth drapped over her legs, as she had been kneeling before a small shrine.

"Yes, Mama, but... Why are they doing this?" The girl was near tears as she went to her mother. The young child had kitsune-like ears by the sides of her head where human ears whould have been, as well as a tail, which swayed lightly near the ground as the child was pulled into a warm hug by her mother.

"They hurt you again, and called you a half-breed, did they not?"

The girl nodded, looking away as her mother eyed her. Two claws had made their mark on Alisha's right cheek, the wound still bloody. Her left ear had been bitten, blood staining her silverish-white hair and fur. The lavender kimono Alisha had been wearing was torn by her right shoulder, and in several places on both her sides, her pink obi looked like it would fall apart at any given time. "Why are they so mean to me? I was only walking in the village, mother, honest." Her mother didn't answer, only shook her head softly and hugged her daughter close, keeping her safe.

"Ira-sama? Alisha-san?" a new voice asked; a small boyish one.

Ira let go of her daughter as the young half-breed's ears twitched. "It is alright, Yoko-chan... You may come in." Ira told him, looking toward the straw mat door in which the child's voice had come. Alisha broke away from her mother and looked to the door as well.

"Kulone-sama sent me here. Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked, lifting the straw door out of his way and walking in. The child bowed low in respect, silverish locks falling over his shoulders and somewhat into his face.

Ira shook her head gently, and somehow managed a soft smile as Yoko stood upright once more. "Iie, Yoko-chan..." she then looked to her daughter, "Alisha-chan, why don't you go play with Yoko-chan?" she suggested. "After you've cleaned up, of course," she added as an afterthought.

Alisha blinked, looking up at her mother, then smiling lightly and nodded. "Okay, Mama. Arigatou." the girl bowed to her mother, did the same to Yoko, then vanished off behind the straw door and began down a corridor which led further into the castle.

"Iri-sama?" Yoko blinked after a moment, looking back to the woman. She did not reply, knelt again before the hrine, whose dark grey stones and oaken wood glowed a light, blue, promising light. The event all together bewildered the young kitsune male, though he spoke nothing more, only bowed again to the Queen of Icile before excusing himself from the room to await the Princess's return.

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Months passed and nothing changed much. Ira continued to allow her daughter to go out and play with the demon child known as Yoko Kurama, and he, in turn, vowed to do his best to watch after and protect the princess. The village children continued to torment Alisha, Yoko now just as well, though Yoko had finally had enough.

One day, several of the village children as well as a few straying youkai had began throwing sharp-edged stones at the both of them. Yoko and Alisha had reached the edge of the village by the time that started, and so the village children had figured they were safe should either wish to strike back. Nothing had hit Yoko nor Alisha, but as a sharp charcoal-black stone finally cut into the back of Alisha's neck, Yoko'd finally grown tired of this all. He turned swiftly, glaring at them coldly through his tawny golden eyes. None of them had had the chance to see his attack, and that became their downfall...Literally. The children and young youkai all froze, and suddenly fell apart, limb by limb, blood spewing everywhere. It was then that emerald-hued optics saw the thorned whip in Yoko's left hand, and Alisha blinked, half confused, and now fearful of her friend.

A sigh came from Yoko, the whip falling from his hand. "Alisha-san... It _had_ to be done. You cannot allow them to continue pesturing you like that." he told her softly. When he turned to look at her, he found she had fled, heading back to her father's castle, leaving him amongst the battlefeild; the little slaughter hadn't even been a battle at all, and was only the beginning of the bloodshed either of them had yet to see.


	2. A Lost Soul

**Disclaimer** Shadow-chan wishes she owned Yu Yu Hakusho... Then maybe there wouldn't be as much chaos in the world.

After years had come and gone, Alisha still couldn't bring herself to go anywhere outside of the castle, especially since she knew well enough who her escort would be in such an event. As such, she kept herself locked away in her room, training and honing her skills as a fighter, and studying and learning as the Princess. Though all the while, the only ones permitted into her room were her elder sibling, Kanryu, and her ningen mother, Ira. Yoko still went to the castle, aiding Ira as best he could, and though it clearly hurt him that Alisha wanted nothing to do with him, he never spoke a word of it. One day, Ira finally questioned her daughter on the matter.

"Alisha-chan?" came Ira's voice as she moved the wood-and-temper-glass sliding door aside, stepping into her daughter's rather large, dome-like room. She had definately aged: her once beautiful complexion now lined with wrinkles, her face a bit sunken-in. She'd grown frail as well -- but then again, fifty years had passed; what could one expect?

"Mother? You're still so weak! You should return to bed, go get some rest.." Alisha whipped around to face Ira after having thrown Kanryu against the opposing wall. Ira had aged, but due to being a half demon, Alisha only seemed eleven years old. In another ten years or so, she'd look and act twelve, or rather look twelve yet be wise enough to have been thirty. She had still been training with Kanryu when her mother walked in, and just as Ira had grown frail, Alisha had grown powerful.

"Alisha-chan, I wish to speak with you. In solice, if that is fine." Ira suggested, her tone with the girl hardly as kind and warm as it had normally been.

None the less, Alisha nodded. Kanryu had already started out of the room, muttering curses under his breath. Once her older brother had left, Alisha looked back to her mother and blinked somewhat dumbfoundedly, though she remained silent, awaiting an explaination from Ira.

"I believe you know _why_ I wish to speak with you?"

To that, Alisha hesitated a moment before shaking her head twice. "Iie, that I do not know...I was hoping you would explain that to me, I still have another fortnight of training left for this month, and then I am to study..." she started, only to have herself cutoff by her mother's raising of her hand, palm facing Alisha to silence her in the same way a Queen would to her servant.

"You have progressed well, I admit, though your studies are hardly the issues at hand." Ira paused, lowering her hand and looking at the Chinese-Japanese kanji on the wall. "Why have you been constantly refusing both on-field training and contact with any others aside from your brother and myself?" When Alisha didn't answer, Ira continued. "What you have is a gift, child... And you cannot even so much as tap into your true strength - do not argue - you may have been able to defeat your elder brother in a skirmish, though in a true battle, by this time you would be dead thrice times over, if not more so." Her tone was strict and demanding, and Alisha flinched. Not even when training with Kanryu did she flinch -- Though her mother's tone had made a shiver coarse through her spine.

"You came not to wish me luck nor to congradulate me of my accomplishments, yet to punish me for being focused? I am trying, you realize that...But then how do you wish me to gain true hold of my power if I do not train and study both?" Alisha asked a bit coldly, though it hadn't been intended.

"You have not yet witnessed your father's own fighting skills, have you? Had you not been locked up within this room of yours, maybe he ought teach you a thing or two. As well, you may wish to venture out into the real world once again--" With that said, Alisha's expression changed from one of confused worry to one of slight anger.

"I will not, so long as _he_ is set to be my escort." she growled lowly, ears falling back a bit near flattened on her head, tail stiffening.

"Another reason for my coming, daughter..." Ira sighed. "I do not see why you seem so very hateful toward the same young kitsune of which you were so thrilled to see as a young child. You would refuse to leave with anyone else, and you would remain out for hours at a time with Yoko-chan...What has happened?"

Alisha remained silent, then sighed, wandering off to a side-room to her bed chamber. "If you insist upon my outgoing for a bit, fine. But in return, you must promise to rest and get better, an illness at your age is not exactly a good thing." she sighed softly, and Ira nodded before walking from the room. Alisha shook her head to herself. "It is a mistake, though..." she murmured under her breath before vanishing into the room, closing the door behind her.

Ira walked off down the hall, staring at the wooden floor as she did so. _Hardly a mistake, Alisha...Hardly a mistake..._ she thought solumnly. The call of her name tore her gaze from the ground to look at the young boy infront of her.

"Ira-sama! There you are, I was worried! What are you doing up already, you should be resting!" Yoko seemed panicked, two heavy red blankets in his arms. He'd been bringing them for Ira, and now seemed a tad bit confused.

Ira smiled gently. "I will be fine, Yoko-chan...Do not overwork yourself, you are too young for it." she sighed. "We shall talk again in my room, come along," she beckoned, Yoko nodding and following the old woman down the hall to her chamber. And so, she began telling Yoko of her conversation with Alisha while he began rearranging her room for her. Though by the end of the speech, he had frozen and was staring at the door.

"I cannot...She would not allow it, Ira-sama...She hates me anymore.." he sighed, shaking his head lightly. Only, Ira smiled softly.

"She had opposed my judgement, hai...But at the same time of her stubborness, she has not suggested you not accompany her. Whatever happened those many years ago, the both of you should get over it and go on with your lives..." she insisted, and so Yoko left the room to wait for the Princess.

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The sun was shining high in the sky, the skies themselves clear of any bad omens or clouds, though the occasional twittering of small robins could be heard, as well as seen once or twice. The village was in total silence, the ningens going on with their somewhat normal lives, ignoring the fact the the Princess and her escort were so near them.

Even they walked in silence. Not a word had been spoken between them since they left the castle, and Alisha aimed to keep it as such. Though Yoko had other plans, and would wait until they were further off from the village. Five minutes passed, and he finally took up the chance to speak.

"Alisha-san, please...Why do you not speak to--"

"You know why! There was absolutely no reason to have slaughtered them like that, you did not need to kill them! Does my mother not know of this? My father? Yoko, do you have no concience at all?" she snapped, stopping their 'leisurely' walk to glare at him icily.

Youko froze, looking at her and having every right to fear her tone and glare, though kept his own defense. "Iie, your parents know not of it, at least as far as I believe. And hai, I do. I have not forgotten, and clearly neither have you. I apologize for what I have done, but...You cannot hold this grudge against me forever, can you?" he asked quietly, almost in a pleading tone for her to forgive him.

"I can, and I intend to. Just because mother wanted me to get outdoors a bit more does not mean that I wish to do so, much less that I want to walk about with a murderer such as yourself." she snapped coldly, beginning to walk off again. Youko stubbornly followed, and for a while they argued, then silenced themselves as they saw the sky begin to grow dark. They then headed back toward the castle, and when they got there and had meandered about the halls, the both of them stood in shock, awe, and sorrow at what they heard.

Kulone, Alisha's father and so being the King of Icile, was half-leaned against a wall, fist ground into it with a rather large indent in the wall. His eyes were sealed shut in anger and his claws flexed. The man was rather lean, being tall and lanky, but having a good build to him and very strong. His raven hair was tied back in a ponytail, which still went to about his waist, and the moonshape scar on his forehead was glowering a bit. Kanryu was in Ira's bed chamber, though Alisha and Yoko didn't know what he was doing.

"Papa?" Alisha started quietly, walking to her father, "Papa, what happened? Is Mama alright?" she asked a little shakily. She'd taken up the childish names once more. Kulone didn't answer for a moment, then finally opened his eyes, glaring at the wall a moment before looking to his daughter. His eyes were like cold ice, a somewhat electric blue color, though the look was hard as ice.

"A bit ironic...She wanted you to return to the outside, and yet she died whilst you were gone..."

Alisha froze, eyes going wide as she shivered a bit, shaking like a leaf. She wanted to cry, or scream, something...But the air had left her lungs and her throat was constricted. Her ears fell flat on her head, and then she bolted into Ira's room, staring at her brother a moment, then looking to her mother's cold form.

Kanryu was knelt beside Ira's bed, looking at her intently. As Alisha walked over, he sighed lightly and looked to her. Alisha took her mother's dead hand in her own, tears welling in her eyes but she refused to let them fall. "Mama...I'm sorry..." That was all she could manage.

Yoko kept back, watching in silence, and then turning away and leaving the castle for good. Well, for now anyway. He'd placed Ira's death as another thing that was his fault, but in the years to come, he'd force himself to forget it all. And he'd help Alisha forget as well.

But for now, the Higurath clan all stayed silent in weeping over their Queen's death. The fact of the matter was, now Alisha really _did_ need to study...Seeing how she'd be taking her mother's place, only as Princess for now...But sooner or later, she'd need to take up position as Queen.


End file.
